Two Texans charged with supporting terrorists

Updated 7:57 am, Thursday, June 19, 2014

Two men have been arrested and charged in Austin for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, according to a Department of Justice press release on Wednesday.

Austin-area residents Rahatul Ashikim Khan, 23, and Michael Todd Wolfe, 23, were allegedly working to recruit others to travel to the Middle East to support terrorist activities, including what federal authorities are calling "violent jihad."

They both appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Austin to be formally charged.

Khan was conspiring with others to recruit people to travel overseas from early 2011 until January 2012, the federal complaint stated.

Wolfe, according to the federal complaint, had planned to travel to Syria himself to provide help to radical groups involved in armed conflict in that country.

"This case is the culmination of a long-term investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force made up of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Central Texas. It’s a textbook example of how well law enforcement agencies in this area work together," United States Attorney Robert Pitman said in Wednesday's release.

Both Khan and Wolfe are American citizens, with Wolfe born in Houston, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Khan was arrested at his home in Round Rock, while Wolfe was arrested at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday before boarding a flight to Toronto, Canada, with Europe his intended destination.

The men could face up to 15 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine if they are convicted in federal court. Their next scheduled hearing is set for Friday in Austin.